Ex-Dodgers star aggressively pursued by Orioles and Braves amid free agency sweepstake - Reports
Former Los Angeles Dodgers starter Nathan Eovaldi opted out of his contract with the Texas Rangers following the end of the season. The 34-year-old is now a free agent and is searching for his next opportunity.
For Eovaldi, many insiders regard him as a top 10 starting pitcher on the open market. He should have no trouble finding a new team to play for over the next few weeks or months.
Some teams have already shown their interest. According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves are aggressively pursuing Eovaldi.
"The Orioles and Braves are among the teams with interest in free agent Nathan Eovaldi, as I mentioned on MLB Network this morning" said Morosi.
Baltimore has their ace, Corbin Burnes on the open market and could lose him, making Eovaldi a great option. Even if they could re-sign Burnes, Eovaldi would still be a great acquisition.
The Braves are another team coming into the offseason searching for an arm. They are reportedly searching for a pitcher on a shorter deal, which Eovaldi could be open to signing.
Could the former Dodgers starter be the next pitcher to sign?
While we are still at the beginning of free agency, fans have witnessed a few key moves already. Some frontline starting pitchers have already signed a new deal.
Most recently, Blake Snell signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers. He now joins a rotation that will include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow next season.
There is no denying how elite that starting rotation could be next season if everybody stays healthy. The Dodgers have a great chance to win the World Series in back-to-back seasons.
Yusei Kikuchi is another starter who recently signed a new contract. He and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a three-year, $63 million deal.
Kikuchi was another starting pitcher that a lot of insiders were high on this winter. He had been dominant after his trade to the Houston Astros this past season.
All it takes is a few signings to get the party started. Teams do not want to sit around and watch one of their targets sign elsewhere. This could be the thing that cracks the starting pitcher market.
Nathan Eovaldi could certainly be the next starter coming off the open market. He will be a player fans will want to keep a close eye on over the next few weeks.